By John H. Foote (?) I am told this is a masterful film. I WOULD NOT KNOW BECAUSE ELEVATION REFUSED TO HAVE PRESS AND INDUSTRY SCREENINGS. NOR WOULD THEY PROVIDE ME WITH LINKS OR SCREENERS TO SEE THE FILM. SO A STUDIO IS DICTATING TO THE FESTIVAL THAT THEY CANNOT SHOW THE FILM TO THE…
By John H. Foote Sadly I will not be able to review either Ammonite or The Father, two of the most anticipated titles of TIFF this year. The studio, Elevation Pictures, has chosen NOT to hold press screenings for accredited media, incredibly shocking considering the festival is to celebrate film, and build awareness and buzz. I understand Elevation…
By John H. Foote Normally I screen 30 or more films at TIFF, depending on how well my poor legs hold out. My record is 52, but that included festival pre-screenings and was well before my legs were shattered, suffice to say those days are gone. TIFF usually screens more than 300 films per festival…
By John H. Foote Why? Why would Francis Ford Coppola return to one of his most maligned films to re-cut, add and take away? There is but one way to fix The Godfather Part III (1990), which is to erase the film from existence. It has never existed in my world since that first dreadful…
By John H. Foote For several months I worried TIFF might not even happen, but the brilliant minds that run the festival found a way. Thank God. I cannot imagine my life without TIFF, that festival has become such an integral part of my existence. Beyond the memories of great films I have experienced, there…
By John H. Foote Actor Chadwick Boseman has died after a brave four-year fight with colon cancer. He was 43. Boseman will be forever remembered as the super hero Black Panther (2018) in the Oscar nominated film, and several of The Avengers films. His courage can be measured in that during the shoots of those…
By John H. Foote Academy Award nominated Best Director Alan Parker has passed at the age of 76. The talented Brit first came to the attention of North American audiences directing Bugsy Malone (1976) but it was his explosive film Midnight Express (1978) that truly brought him to the attention of North American film audiences…
By Alan Hurst He was the man Sid Caesar once called the best straight man in comedy. He was also the creative brain responsible for one of the best comedies in television history; he discovered Mary Tyler Moore; and he was singularly responsible for Steve Martin’s early success on film. Carl Reiner died Monday evening…
By John H. Foote I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest critic and staff writer Marie-Renee Goulet! Hailing from Quebec City, Marie-Renee and I have known one another for more than twenty years, beginning when she was a student of mine at Trebas Institute, where she graduated at the top of…
By John H. Foote Director Joel Schumacher often blamed for the demise of the Tim Burton started Batman franchise died of cancer yesterday. The lanky, friendly filmmaker was always smiling and an excellent interview, willing to field the tough questions. I first interviewed Schumacher for his brilliant independent film Tigerland (2000) which introduced Colin Farrell…